shouldibuythat
← All Audio verdicts
Audio · head to head

QuietComfort 35 II vs WH-1000XM4

Reddit's answer is the Bose QuietComfort 35 II. Buy it if you prioritize long-term comfort and durability and can stomach a real failure risk. The WH-1000XM4 is a Risky Buy — buy only if you prioritize sound quality and noise cancellation above long-term reliability.

Bose QuietComfort 35 II
Bose · Audio

QuietComfort 35 II

Buy If$350
57% of 1,256 owners recommend
~1 in 3 failure rate — ~1 in 3 long-term owner reports mention a failure, most commonly the power switch, Bluetooth, or battery, typically surfacing between 10 and 73 months of ownership. Warranty outcomes lean resolved — most who reported back got a replacement or repair covered — but a meaningful share landed outside warranty.

Buy it if you prioritize long-term comfort and durability and can stomach a real failure risk.

+ Repeatedly mentioned as the reason owners stick with them — comfort stands out across hundreds of reports.

− A vocal minority find the sound tuning too bass-heavy or otherwise colored compared to rivals.

Full verdict →
Sony WH-1000XM4
Sony · Audio

WH-1000XM4

Risky Buy$233.5
46% of 820 owners recommend
~1 in 3 failure rate — ~1 in 3 long-term owner reports describe a failure, with charging system issues the most cited component (18 reports), followed by battery problems and hinge failures. Onset typically falls within the first 25 months. Warranty resolution skews unresolved — 34 cases versus 9 resolved — so most failures appear to land outside or beyond warranty coverage. At 29% serious failure, this is roughly in line with the category baseline of 27% for wireless headphones.

Buy only if you prioritize sound quality and noise cancellation above long-term reliability.

+ Sound quality is repeatedly mentioned as the benchmark other headphones get measured against.

− Sound quality complaints are recurring — some owners find the tuning overly processed or fatiguing.

Full verdict →

Questions people keep asking

Which is better, the QuietComfort 35 II or the WH-1000XM4?

Reddit's answer is the Bose QuietComfort 35 II. Buy it if you prioritize long-term comfort and durability and can stomach a real failure risk. The WH-1000XM4 is a Risky Buy — buy only if you prioritize sound quality and noise cancellation above long-term reliability.

Is the Bose QuietComfort 35 II worth it?

Reddit's verdict is Buy If. Buy it if you prioritize long-term comfort and durability and can stomach a real failure risk. Comfort and durability keep a loyal following, but ~1 in 3 long-term reports mention a power-switch or Bluetooth failure — know that going in.

Is the Sony WH-1000XM4 worth it?

Reddit's verdict is Risky Buy. Buy only if you prioritize sound quality and noise cancellation above long-term reliability. Strong sound and ANC, but ~1 in 3 long-term reports describe a failure — mostly charging and hinges within the first two years.